As Lorne Frey and every other player personnel director is likely to tell you, evaluating bantam-aged hockey players is an inexact science. A Western Hockey League teamâs top draft picks donât always turn into franchise players. Conversely, prospects chosen in the later rounds can, with a little good fortune, develop into top-end talent. The have seen the latter happen in recent years, with players like Brett Bulmer (11th round, 2007), Damon Severson (9th round, 2009), Lucas Johansen (6th round, 2012) and Kyle Topping (11th round, 2014) all exceeding expectations.
As is the case at every year at Âé¶čAV Rocketsâ rookie camp, Frey and his scouting staff are once again seeing some surprises this week, both from drafted and non-drafted players.
Among the more intriguing late-round prospects at camp is forward Stephen Kesselring, a ninth-round choice from Viceroy, Sask., who played bantam AA last season in Weyburn.
âHeâs probably been a bit of a surprise here, he didnât play on a good team last year but he was their leading point-getter and he just keeps getting better, every time heâs on the ice,â Frey said of Kesselring, who will play this season with the Moose Jaw Warriors midget AAA program. âIt looks like heâs grown a couple of inches since the spring and heâs been really good here.
âWe think his upside is huge, we might have got a little lucky there. In another year or two, weâll know.â
Kesselring, 15, who wasnât certain heâd be chosen in this springâs bantam draft, was thrilled when the Rockets called his name in the ninth round. Still, the young forward knows being drafted is simply a small, first step in what he hopes will one day lead to a long and productive career with the Rockets.
âI think theyâre a good organization and Iâd definitely like to play one day here if I could,â Kesselring said after a practise session on Wednesday at Prospera Place. âI donât think it really matters where I was drafted, I just think itâs important to make a good first impression, work hard and see what happens.â
As for the clubâs first three picks in the 2017 draft, centres Ethan Bowen (Chilliwack), Ethan Ernst (Weyburn, SK) and Cole Carrier (Edmonton), Frey said all have come to camp as advertised.
âTheyâve all been good,â Frey said. âBowenâs been really good, Ernst has been outstanding and so has Cole Carrier. Theyâre all highly-skilled, good skaters and competitive, so weâre very confident in the abilities of all three and where theyâll all progress to in a year or two.â
Bowen, Âé¶čAVâs first choice in the draft (39th overall), made a verbal commitment this spring to the BCHLâs Chilliwack Chiefs and the NCAAâs University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, but accepted an invitation to attend this weekâs rookie camp.
âWeâre happy that heâs here,â Frey said of Bowen, who played at Yale Academy last season. âWe know he has options out there and weâre going to try and sell him on our program.â
Bowen and the rest of the 2017 draft class will be invited to stay on for the teamâs main training camp which begins Saturday at Prospera Place.
